English Honours: An Inside Picture for all the Aspirants

DISCLAIMER: The admission process as specified in the article has now changed, and will soon be updated accordingly. The article holds true for all other information.

While the most sought-after in all of the courses in the Delhi University are the one which offer a sure-shot entry into the corporate world (BCom, Economics Honours and professional courses like BBS, BBE etc), a Bachelors degree in literature, also known as English Honours, too seems to hold a distinct attraction to aspiring students. Counted among the ‘cool’ courses, this one has many takers.

Now English Honours finds so many takers because of the large scope of career options that it still leaves open for its students even after its culmination. Despite the myth that one can only go into the teaching field after graduating from this course, one can also venture into journalism, writing, editing, go for Civil Services, MBA etc. Hence, it automatically also becomes a boon for all those who are yet indecisive about the career path they have to choose.

Its popularity had lead to concerns in the faculty circuit about whether the students choose it for the love of the subject or simply for reputation sakes where they just missed the cut-offs of the abovementioned courses but managed good enough to match the English cut-offs. — And thus CATE was hatched.

The Combined Aptitude Test for English was a means to separate people who were skilled in the ways of English language from the ones who didn’t, whatever their 12th percentage may be. It ensured that even students didn’t enter the wrong course forced by societal pressures to enter DU under a reputable degree course. This particular entrance examination allowed students who would never have gotten into the top-league colleges to get a chance to pursue their passion even if they couldn’t quite manage a good score in their Math or Physics board exams.

Aspirants have to keep in mind that pursuing literature is done in its truest sense at college level and is very much different from what one studies in school. One dissects popular texts and poems and the course is not just limited to the syllabi but to a general awareness of one’s surroundings. No one teaches you English here; that is taken as a prerequisite. What you do learn is using that language to address issues in the society and issues that have been prevalent in history. Sometimes students find it difficult to cope with the subject and often wonder why they were being given history and sociology lessons. But it needs to be understood that literature is a record of human civilization and thus a study of literature and human history can never be mutually exclusive.

Rigya Singh, a 1st year student of IP College for Women, and a Trainee Editor of Youth Ki Awaaz, says “It is an amazing course. Very liberating and teaches us to think outside the box. I feel very empowered doing English Honurs.”

Another of the attractions that this course holds is the less study pressure. There is nothing one has to practice (hence less homework) and nothing that you can mug up (hence no 30-day preparation before the exams). You will find many English students calling themselves or being called ‘vella’. But the truth lies in the fact that this is one course where the exams are probably the truest tests of skills; someone’s superior aptitude could never be denied in this arena. So one may not be buckling under the pressure of learning all those sentences, but the pressure of performance and the wish of super-analytical skills plague every English student out there. A few strategically placed hours in the library, a few good reference reads and tons of research can get your boat across that sea of questions which demand minimum 5 page answers each.

Currently, the best faculties for English can be found in St. Stephen’s college, Miranda House and IP College for Women in North Campus, and Jesus and Mary College and Lady Shri Ram College in South Campus. CATE is yet to be applicable in all college and many like Stephen’s still go by the rule of cut-offs (refer to the aforementioned link for a list of colleges under CATE). The course may not run in the leagues of B.Com Hons. but don’t be fooled into thinking that cut-offs would be conveniently low. DU takes out three different sets of cut-offs for each stream- Commerce, Humanities and Science. Commerce usually suffers the highest cut-offs and a few examples of English cut-offs for Commerce students (general category) from last year are:

St. Stephens College- 97%

Ramjas College- 93%

Hansraj- 92%

Even CATE cut-offs, too, are quite high and only students up to rank 400 find themselves among the best colleges. The lesson in these alarming percentage figures is that whatever the course may be, DU is a place everyone wishes to enter into. Demand is much much more than the supply and thus even aspirants for English will find similar hurdles placed in front of them as a student who wishes to get into SRCC.

On a personal note, take a deep breath and I’ll tell you a secret. English language has a lot to do with confidence, why do you think the British were so cocky? My point is, CATE is one of the easiest exams you will ever give because they don’t test what you know, they test how you see things and what you do about it. It’s all a matter of believing in what you think and then putting it in words (which should be more convincing than just impressively long). There are as many perceptions as there are people; the task is to form a more well-rounded perception, which is what this course is about, from its beginning to the very end.

For all those who wish to go for English Honours, it’ll be probably the most liberating and fun ride you’ll have in your life. Many congratulations for your results and a big ‘Good Luck’ for your CATE!

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Congratulations! Both colleges in name of prestige are equally renowned. I think it depends more on your location according to which you should choose between the South Campus and North Campus. Miranda does have an excellent faculty in English but if JMC proves to be more convenient location-wise then don’t hesitate to go for it as its pretty good too. I hope this helps.

I’ve qualified for the interview round of BA English(honours) of St Stephen’s college. I would like to have some tips regarding how can I clear the interview. Anythng that can help me in the interview is welcome.

For the interview, they are not going to ask you any tough questions. They will be instead be noting your use of English and confidence in the language. Also, typical questions like your favourite literary piece can come, for which they may ask what you liked about that book etc. Stephen’s conducts a very vague interview for all its aspirants, its not subject-specific or has any questions that you can prepare for. Its more like they judge you if you have it in you to be a Stephanian or not. Kind of pompous of them, but well, that’s their MO. Don’t worry or panic, that’s all I can advise. Good luck!

MA in English is not compulsory and is usually for people who want to go for lectureship As for a job in the corporate world- you can always do an MBA after your graduation. Options after English Hons are many; there is civil services, there is MA in other subjects such as Law, International Relations etc. In today’s world, it hardly matters what undergraduate course you do, as for corporate, a person from any field can apply for it.

Very honestly, IP has a much better faculty in English but if North Campus is very difficult for you to commute to every day, then I suppose you should go for KNC. It only falls behind relatively, but on its own, KNC is quite good.

Can you please answer this ASAP? I have got into Shaheed Bhagat Singh College for English Hons. and i just recieved my rank for B.el.ed..that is 4th and hence, ill get a college in north campus easily..I love english..and teaching as been a dream of mine..but since englsh hons offers a variety of oppurtunities ahead.i find english honours more rewarding..but b.el.ed will mean a good college in North Campus..what to do?

B. El. Ed is good course but you have to understand that it is limiting and once you are in DU you will realise that college name doesn’t matter all that much as we thought when we were in school. Its better to always choose according to the course.

hey thanx a lot .dis information has proved to be very productive.
bt i would like to know that is the faculty for english hons good at motilal nehru college or atma ram college??as i m getting through both..

i want to take up eng hons bt i am constantly been told that it has no scope so my parents want me to tahe up b.com(p) and then further study MBA….and now m totally confused….i even missed my counselling for b.el.ed….what di i do now?

Being an English Honours student, I will strongly recommend you to do what you want. If you are not interested in B.Com, do not take it. English Honours has a lot of scope. Publishing, Editing, Teaching, Journalism, IAS, Literary Agent and so forth. It is so much fun to do.

I won’t prescribe a daily routine but I would say that be regular with reading beyond what is prescribed in your syllabi. Make the library a familiar place. Always read the critical essays in the textbook and also look for other essays by known critics. You can consult your teachers regarding the critics; I am sure they will be more that happy to help.
Also, always read your texts before they are taught in class, and re-read a text of you feel you are forgetting- Never leave reading of the text for the exams as that is the time you have to give them a LAST read and not a FIRST.
Hope this helps!

presently i’m a 3rd year student in english honours..can someone plzz suggest me with what should be my take on this stream?..like any possible and useful courses that can be done along with this that will be helpful for my further success in this field?

You can do MA and go for a lecturer position or you can do B. Ed. for teaching positions. Otherwise you can intern at any reputable media house so its easier to step into that field once you graduate (you can also post-graduate in a Journalism or Mass Media course).
As I have mentioned, Civil Services is an option as well.

I am sure you mean LL.B as you cannot do Masters in a subject that you haven’t done Bachelors in.
You can do anything in the field of Law, if you wish. Sit for judiciary exams even.
Also, you can sit for the civil services examination.
But, I will only be able to give you a more definite answer if you could explain more about why you took up English and then Law next.

actually i passed this year(2012)12th with commerce without maths with 75%(best 4) and so confusingly i have taken admmision to BCA in IP university, and shockly i came to know in BCA , maths and physics is there, as my subject.i am studying from 3months in this college and it does’nt feel me excited or good even students are not giving compettiton to me ,like not some innovative ,creative so i think i m better than all of them, also faculty is not impressive, also college is far from my home BECAUSE of all these reasons i am also supressed, and one day IN AUG i just open d cut off list of DU and saw ENG(H)and bcom , in b com cut off is against my perc. in eng(h) i saw there are without cate colleges also like ramanujam and aurbindo are in favour of my perc. but i m late this year. SO i am thinking next year for eng h and i m thinking this beacause side by side i want to do german language. from du also from d next yr, please suggest me i m thinking good,,,also tell me, if Eng H i do next year obviously i will appear CATE if i can’t get good rank, then colleges which r without cate which college is good between aurbindo and ramanujam(deshbhandu). pls reply i m too confused…after reading this..

1st.- tell me as you know i have no interst in bca so its good to opt eng h. and german.next year

If you are creatively inclined and like to read then English Hons or any language course if a good option for you.

Also I would ask you to try for CATE before you decide on either of the colleges as they do not particularly rank high on the list of good English faculties in the universities. As for a choice between the two, they are about the same level but I would ask you to consider leaving your course on the basis of these two.
Its best to change streams if you make the cut-off (CATE or otherwise) of a college with a good English dept.

CATE has two sections. One is multiple choice where it tests your language skills as well as your knowledge of the world of Literature (this is where you can lose or earn most marks, depending on your knowledge – though do not be intimidated as it is not very difficult for anyone who likes to read), the second set is subjective and mostly from what you have already done in school.

You can’t really study for CATE but yes, you can brush up on your own course poems etc.

I have seen very many bogus centres offering coaching for the same but do ask exactly what they’d be teaching you as if they are offering to teach bits of 1st year course etc, don’t go.
Besides, if you feel confident in your English skills and read sufficiently, you’d be fine.

i am very confused for my career option…i have been thinking of a lot many one options at a single time…but my interest in English is always at top of my list…but now i am totally confused what to do after English hon??

You can do a number of things after English Honours as I have mentioned. Though I concede that the luck wouldn’t be on your side if you wish to get a job after college because college placements are usually for the corporate sector, but you can enter the same after doing an MBA.

English Literature is a course available in most deemed universities all over the country. If you do not live in Delhi, you can enroll into your regional university.
As such, no proper course of the same is taught at any private university.

It was a very helpful article! so here is my situation I am doing a 3 year French course and i also want to do a degree course along with it. I am confused between BCA and English hons. Personally i feel like doing English hons with my French course but people say it has no scope. I am planing to do MBA after my graduation so will English hons. be any help for my MBA. Suppose i am not able to do MBA then will English hons. and French be a good combo? please help me out. Thank you.

It was a very helpful article! so here is my situation I am doing a 3 year French course and I want to do a degree course along with it.I have to choose between BCA and English hons. personally I feel like doing English hons. but people all around say it has not much scope. Also I am planning to do MBA after my graduation. Just in case i don’t do MBA will English hons. and French be a good combo? please advice me. Thank you.

I will be honest and say that English will not give you an extra edge, except perhaps making you more confident and polished to make an impact in job interviews. French will certainly help as foreign languages are valued and have weightage in transfer decisions.

But I do think that you should go for a professional course instead of English because doing two language courses, especially when none of the two languages is obscure (rarer the language is, more opportunity in translation and interpretation sector). The career prospects otherwise will be dim.

This was really interesting. Just completed my boards this year and I really want to get into Eng. Hons; can anyone tell me if the CATE will still be held this year? Also, does anyone know if Jadavpur University is also a good place to study the course? Lastly, is it a good idea to study law (LLB) after English Hons, or BA LLB directly?

Sohan, CATE has been removed as the new 4-year-course has been introduced. The new framework at DU is a mess and so the University portal itself is perhaps the best place to visit.
I personally wouldn’t recommend Jadavpur University.
And its better to do BA in English than the 5 year Law programme after school. But I do understand that with the new format, it will cost a student a total of 7 years so I suppose it becomes a personal choice. If you can devote that much time to that career path, nothing could be better.

i am in eleventh standard n have a lot of interest in english..even i get highest markks in my class..i love reading novels n i have a strong passion towards english n want to make ma career in that..i just want mental satisfaction in whatever i do..pls tell me what i should switch to after completing my school as english my first priority????

I am a student from kolkata reading in class 12. I love literature n I am dreaming to persue my carrier with english hons after my boards. Its just that i had to take up commerce as my streem after passing class 10 due to some personal reasons, rather against my wish. I got a 88% in english in my ICSE. Now the point is I am weak in accounts. my question is do this subject really matters if i want to opt for english as my subject in future? If my marks for this subject is not good, will It be effecting my hons? I am anytime a 90% student in english (according to my teachers) n i love this subject a lot. I love reading stories n novels. please help.

It is only your overall score in your 12th result that matter, that too only in college admissions. Otherwise, the score you get in school in English or in any other subject have no consequence in the course itself. The marks that will matter are the ones you get in college as they would be considered when you apply in a field related to English or English Literature.

Nikky, as I have said in the article, the course is not just about Literature but the history of the world contained in Literature. So if it still rocks your boat, then I don’t think anything else can give you more mental satisfaction!
However, the first priority should always be your end goal – the career you wish for in life. I have listed all the careers one can go for after doing BA Hons English, and if you wish for a career among them, then by all means do go for English Hons after your 12th standard graduation.

dear sir ive read all your answers.they were very helpful. im going to give cate this year (2013)
i want to know whether there is an option to take other languages as well say french latin etc…
along side english hons. ?

Of course you can apply for language courses available in colleges such as Hindu and Daulat Ram alongside. Those however will be diploma/certificate courses and not degree ones as you can only do one degree course at a time. These usually hold classes in the weekends, and after college hours.

What I would always suggest is to be sure of the career option first and then see if you want to do English Honours in the journey to that goal. But since you are asking me the converse, I shall try my best to help in that. English-related career options are plenty – there is obviously academics, then there is media and lastly the copyright, editing and translating industry is soaring nowadays.
If per chance, you change your mind by the end of the course, there is always the well-trodden path through MBA or Law course afterward. I hope this helps!

so i filled up the admission form for du,but my marks in 12th are pretty low(BEST four : 68%). Do i still have a chance to get admission in one of its colleges? And if i get a less known college,will i have the same future opportunities as others will? Also if i couldn’t get admission in DU,can i try in other universities like MDU(Rohtak),KU(Kurukshetra),i mean Are their Eng Hons degree beneficial too?
Hoping for a quick and detailed reply,thank you

I suppose it’s late now but I would still like to answer your question. Unfortunately, since CATE has been removed, the cut-offs for English are extremely high.
A less-known college will definitely have a poorer faculty but if you read your texts properly and go through available research material, I am sure hardwork will pay off. The name of college is of little importance then, if you have the marks.
I would say that you can pursue degrees from other universities too but yes, that would be a little detrimental when it comes to search from jobs as there are many applicants for one vacancy. But you can try for MA from a premier university, or go for school education by doing B. Ed., which too is a great career option.
I hope this helps.

I’ve scored pretty low in my boards. 75 % with PCM. (CBSE board). However, my best four is exactly 80%.
In spite of people telling me that there’s no scope after English Honors, I really want to go for it. I’ve filled in the common pre admission form for DU. But CATE is discontinued from this year, and the cut offs would be really high.
Do i still have any chance of getting into DU with my best four being 80%? According to last year’s cut offs, I am getting Ramanujan college. Is it a good one when it comes to the faculty? Please help!

Hello. Please reply to me as soon as possible. I always had great interest in history and cultural studies. My basic aim in life is to become a travel show host, i want to travel the world. My emphasis is more on doing add on courses. So my question is that would eng hons allow me to study certificate courses in french, tourism etc? I mean is eng hons difficult? I love reading but my writing skills are poor. Im really confused between hist and eng..i like hist more but i feel that hist wont allow me to learn a new lang. Help pls!

I know it is probably too late an answer but if it helps, any course you wish to do can be done along with English because I as have mentioned above, it’s a pretty breezy ride. You have plenty of time to do other things.
As you have mentioned writing skills, those are absolutely necessary, so I recommend History in that case.

I would agree with you on the scoring. Till the time the Annual Mode was there, the scores were pretty low. With perhaps 4 people in a class getting 60% and above. But the changing systems in DU, like the semester system and now FYUP have increased scores in English, so I suppose there is hope.

Honestly, Chessie, for the corporate world, I would recommend you not to do English. I mean you can do MBA after English but that is when you wish to change career paths. But if you have already decided on Corporate, then I recommend you to take more Commerce-related courses.

i have got admisaion in english h. in kirorimal college
, but i have qualified for the cut offs of all the colleges of north cpus except st. stephens.
so which college would be best for me. please tell

I suppose it’s too late for the answer, but if it helps, KMC has a pretty good faculty and the only other Co-ed college I would recommend if you do want to upgrade, is Hindu. The best faculties, unfortunately, are mostly women’s colleges and Stephens. But if you have decided on KMC, then many congratulations!

Aman, I won’t say it will provide you any extra opportunity to do English simply because English Hons is not a language course but a Literature study course. English is a language which is taught in India from primary levels, so its not an advantage. Doing a foreign language course with any course will have the same opportunities as doing it with English. I hope that answers your query sufficiently.

I am really confused between English(hons) and b.el.ed. Actually I am inclined towards civil services after graduation. What should I opt amongst these two. And also I Have applied both the courses in amity university. Which course has a better faculty?
Please do reply as early as possible. I am eagerly waiting for your reply.

I will be misleading you if I give you a decision on which course will be better in Amity, as I have scarce knowledge of these particular courses from the university. But what I do know of these two courses in general is that they can’t really be compared as one is an academic course and the other professional. You will have a better job probability in B.El.Ed. But if you are ready to study minimum 3 years more after B.A. English and go for lectureship (or do a B.Ed. after it for English teacher positions in senior secondary schooling) then by all means, go for English. So the answer boils down to your career choice here.

I am sorry for the late response but I hope this belated response can be of some use to you.
As you must have notices by the end of your first year, the subject is less about writing skills and more about your understanding of the literary concepts and the motifs in the novels. Analysis, a sound and logical one, is that which will help you and not a extensive vocabulary.
So I would say that it is absolutely necessary to go through the intro of your texts and also the essays at the back (not all may be good but you’ll fine at least 2 which are very good). This (and reading all your texts) alone does 70% of the job.
All the best!

Lastly, if your library has a JStor subscription, use it to get essays which you can read (you don’t need to learn them). You can ask your teachers for recommendations.

English honours truly is much beyond developing a career in teaching… it provides a base in EVERY competitive exam we might want to take after graduation. A wonderful base for media and journalism, civil services, public relations and one can even take a degree in MBA post English hons. Truly a much needed article.

I’d be very grateful if you could solve my query. An indecision, if you will. I really love English and plan to take it up after my 12. But I’m confused between LSR and Stephen’s. I’m inclined towards LSR, somehow. Please help! Btw why were the cutoffs lower in stephens for english than lsr? Any idea? Thanks a lot!

There is no question that the choice should be Stephen’s as it is unmatched when it comes to faculty. The cut-off for Stephen’s is something which is never certain, it can be lower, higher or the same, but cut-offs are not the only determinant as Stephen’s conducts personal interviews which are a task to crack. But if you get into both, Stephen’s should be the choice without a second thought.

Thank you, Nitum. I’d be lying if I say that this article wasn’t a powerful catalyst in my resolve to take up English honours. You have undoubtedly lowered the confusion level for me. I just hope everything works out for the best.

P.S. What do they ask in the Stephen’s interviews? Can’t thank you enough.

As for Stephen’s interviews, usually there is a panel of interviewers and not a single person. They do not necessarily centre questions around literature but will inquire about your reading habits and then ask questions according to your answers.
The questions are sometimes general to get an understanding of your socio-political views so I advise being confident in whatever opinions you have.
Lastly, just skim the syllabus of the 1st year at least (especially the Background Topics) to know a couple of concepts of English Lit.

I went through Stephen’s last year’s cut off and the eligibility criterion for English (H) was:
” 90% Eng.Core or Elec. Eng. 85%”

The problem is that my school only offers Functional English. Does that make me non-eligibile for admission?

Sorry for being such a pest. Pardon me, if you can.

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Nitum Jain10 months ago

Tanya

It’s not a problem at all!
That cut-off last year could have been a CATE cut-off and not the 12th marks, so I’ll suggest checking again because Stephen’s cut-offs are usually quite high. And while I think the whole total of best 4 which clinches the decision, Stephen’s is a minority college and often has rules separate from those applying to all the colleges under DU. I think the best course of action is to visit the college’s website, and if that has no specific info or contact number then going down to the college itself to inquire.

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Tanya2 years ago

Which is the best choice, lsr, stephens, Miranda house or Hindu? I’m stuck.

Hi! Im a student doing my 12th grade in Hyderabad , Andhra Pradesh. Is CATE held only in Delhi? Can’t we write it online? Will my chances of getting into one of the universities be narrowed down because i dont belong to Dehli? Please answer these questions and help!

Actually , I am studying MPC math phy and chem right now and my parents want me to do engineering. I don’t like it very much. But, I am from an ICSE backgroud and scored 94% in 10th boards. I love English and its always been my best subject. I want to do English hons. I read all the previous comments and inferred that CATE is removed for the year 2014. Is that true? And will be able to get into a good university though i am not from delhi? Coz apparently there are no other universities in India with good faculty. I am totally confused! please help!

Hi! I’m from Delhi and I just gave my 12th boards this year and plan to apply for English lit at DU.
There has been an announcement from DU regarding CATE stating that it shall not be held this year and cutoffs( on the basis of school board examinations) will be taken.
So brace yourself and study well for your boards if you plan to do English. Also, talk to your parents and clearly state your intentions to do English as soon as possible. Otherwise, they might freak out later upon knowing that you have no interest in engineering.
So to avoid a huge scene, ease them into it. Keep on telling them that you will be applying for English and that you will take it if you clear the cutoffs.

Am in dcac 1st year pursuing eng hons…… am passed my 12th from the sceince stream but didnt wanted to do engineering so i choose d.u as my option .. this was the best college and best course i could get but now pretty much insecure of the decision i made .. as bsc would have provided me with better career options ,, what should i do ?

This depends on what those career options are.
As I have stated, there are several career options available as one can go into governance or corporate. BSc, however, adds the field of science to the scope. I will be honest with you and say, yes, an English degree from DCAC, unless you have excellent results, is not a very dependable one. BUT that holds true for any Bachelors except those of the commerce field, even BSc to a limit.
It is not too late for a career change, be assured, so do consult your teachers and family and plan out exactly what you wish to do and accordingly make a career path.

Hm. I’d say Marketing or HR. Marketing is extremely work-intensive sector so do not just base your choices on what suits English best but what field you think you can work in for the rest of your life.
Advertising and PR is also an excellent field with someone from English.

I’m currently pursuing Masters degree in English. I had set my eyes on this subject when I was in Std 8. My parents were cool with it, but many people questioned why I took a subject which requires me to ‘write more’! Fact is I have always loved to write. And, contrary to most subjects, English allows you great freedom to play with words and you make your own rules here; no formulas, no nothing! Students of B.Tech know how important the subject is. But, there are some who think students from Commerce (B.Com, BBA,etc) make more money, and that’s why boys don’t take it! I have been told this by many of my friends. But, as always, I didn’t care!
I must thank you for writing such an awesome article.

DU has excellent correspondence programmes but they are under the procedural capacity of School of Open Learning. Admissions here are done quite differently and you can find all info on https://sol.du.ac.in/

I have been doing English (H) from the last one year , although i never wanted to study english lit as i belonged to a commerce background and certainly wanted to pursue commerce only at my grad level as i want to live in the corporate world but my 12th percentage (83%) limited my scope for studying commerce in any of the Du colleges , not even a single evening college was available . Now please tell me that pursuing a MBA in marketing and sales after my english honors would be a better idea or not and can i even opt for a financial degree in MBA after my english honors ?

And yes one more thing can the faculty of College of vocational studies considered good when it comes to teaching English honors ?

I understand your conflict and I do think Marketing or Sales is an excellent choice after doing English. If not an MBA, you can try your hand at Advertising and PR as well, which are coming up as extremely lucrative fields.
As for a financial degree, there is no bar per se on any branch of business administration and most MBA schools provide general courses before moving on to specifics, but I do think that it will require a lot of hardwork on your part to manage a successful transition. If that is finee by you then nothing better!

Lastly, unfortunately, I have very little knowledge about the course material and faculty of College of Vocational Studies, but as for what has value on the CV, I will say that it does not hold much water. But I will caution you to ask for a second opinion on the same.

As you know, DU is going through constant change which means nothing is particularly clear about procedures. The lates FYUP 2014 brochure does not include English as a course which has an entrance exam, and there has been news of CATE being scrapped.

Still, I would recommend that you visit the campus or call the helpline to get the accurate answers.

Hey, I just completed my 12th this year(2014). Although my over-all percentage was not much good(65% duh!) but I scored 85% in English subject. Now it’s really hard for me to get a good college because everywhere they are only considering the overall percentage. I have applied for a few colleges in Jaipur and I am thinking to give CATE too. Can you please tell me the date and other important information regarding admission through CATE this year. Thanks!

This article was written in 2011. The Delhi University has seen much radical change since then and unfortunately CATE was one of the changes. English honours now takes students solely on the basis of merit like other courses. The DU admissions were to be opened from yesterday (24th) but due to the whole FYUP issues with the govt,, they have been deferred so you will have to keep checking online/on news when they start with the admissions.

hiiiii….. I am a civil service aspirant, I want to become an I.A.S. Recently i have passed my 12 std. with 92.2% from humanities. Now I am thinking that I should take B.A English hons. from D.U. But seriously i m confused what should I choose .History , Pol.science ,Geography. Plz suggest me is it easy to become an I.A.S. after completing my graduation from english hons, plz reply as soon as possible bcoz now i m just waiting for d.u. cut off list .

The subject you should opt for graduation before giving your UPSCs ideally should be the one which would help you in your Mains paper. So if you want to give your IAS Mains in English then I would recommend English. As far as the prelims are concerned, you will have to study everything anyway as all of the subjects you mentioned are part of the prelim exams (English will not give you advantage in the Eng grammar exam because Eng Hons is about literature and not language, but it will help you in essays as you do develop a sense of long analytical writing in your 3 years). You need to visit a counselor or the institute from where you wish to study for IAS and decide what subject you want to appear for in Mains and then choose accordingly. You can take any subject and do something else in Mains but if you take the one you did in graduation, your prep would be much easier. For example, English graduates usually choose English or sociology for Mains. Public Administration is chosen by most, especially Pol Science graduates etc.

thanxxxx…… it does help ……I told this to my father. He will give me the contact no. of an I.A.S.,, I.P.S. . CZ He has so many. I will talk to him and then I will think surely. But every one gives different opinions. u know i have studied PCM in my 11 std. for about 2 months . after that I changed this to humanities jst bcz of civil service job. U r right. I know that I should recommend that subject which will also help me in mains. My first priority was economics hons. bt I don”t have maths I don’t like it. so I can’t take admission in D.U. for this. after that i want to opt for pol.science or english hons. These subjects are my 12 std. subjects .I didn’t have history and geography in m 12 std. but if I want to take admission in pol.science in D.U top colleges like lsr, hindu, miranda . the cut off is so high of the last year and this year it will also high. .Can u plz give me the order of the top colleges of D.U. for humanities and my best four subjects %is 92%. History and Geography suject I also filled in my D.U.registration form. so now plz tell me what u think , what should i do? I want to give my first attempt for I.A.S after my graduation even in my final year . coz I can’t wait for so many years bla bla………

I think rather than asking a civill servant, it would be better to ask a counselor (private or ones present in IAS coaching centres who are there for free consultation usually) The exam patterns have greatly changed and an officer would only know about outdated patterns and study processes.

As for Humanities colleges, this is what I consider the order of a few colleges whose faculties I am aware of (though by no means take it as your primary opinion, do ask around)
1. Stephens
2. LSR
3. Miranda
4. JMC / IP College for Women
5. Hindu/Hans Raj

You will be about 21 when you graduate. It is perfectly fine to give your IAS prelims after your graduation as prep for the prelims alone can take up tp 8-9 months. As I said, you need to discuss this with someone and chart out a schedule/plan or you’d end up wasting a lot of time.

dear mentors and frnds i’ve just ddpassed my 12th exaination from cbse board . My overall percentage is 76.8% but i got 95 in english ,can i get admission in any of the colleges of DU? IF luckily its a yes then plz guide me about career in english. I mean wat will i do after completeing my honours?

It will be extremely difficult to get admission in DU with the percentage as English percentages are soaring beyond belief. Do keep checking for the cut-off lists. All colleges’ cut-offs are there for comparison.
As for your second question, the different career/academic options have been listed by me in the article above.

hello sir,actiy i hv got admission in dyal singh evening college n i hv got in best four including physical 88% but if exclude it i hv got 84.25% i hv got admitd in english hons. is this good for my future i mean its an evening college so i am little disappointed and plz suggest me scopes for d same i will be very thankfull to u

The scope for English stream itself is not much till BA Hons. It’s your Post Grad that matters for which you can do anything out of all the things mentioned above.

As for other courses – You are forbidden from pursuing another degree in any recognized universities but you can pursue a professional course such as CA, CS and can also prepare for Civil Services.
As for just pursuing an interest, you can learn a language. DU allows you a yearly diploma course for many foreign languages while doing graduation. Otherwise language courses can be learnt in Embassy-recognised centres as well.

I have got into IP college for women in BA(hons) ENGLISH.
But now I have this feeling that there is nothing much to do in this course for me since I am from commerce stream.
I considered doing English because I was keen to go in media line but now I feel that it is not that easy to enter in this field, many say that you need quite an approach. Leaving mass com aside, another career option I have after english is teaching but one has to do higher studies for becoming a lecturer but I don’t think that I am patient enough to study after masters.
I even have the option to go for BBS/BBE as I scored well in the entrance test.
So now I am totally confused and messed up!!!
on one hand I feel that I should not leave IP college because it is one of the best for english hons and on the other I feel a professional course like BBE/BBS can help me get into corporate world after graduation only which means I don’t really have to go for M.Phil or PhD.

Since you have pursued English till post-grad, I am assuming you have no intention of switching fields, in which case there are two sectors that are open to you – Publishing and Education.

You can prepare for NET, which is quite tough nowadays. It is recommended that you do M.Phil before appearing for NET as you get extra credit points for the same in the total marking.

Publishing sector is unfortunately quite limited in India. You can apply for internships at Random House, Hachette India, Penguin or Roopa (these are the ones that I know which have taken in interns in the past). This will be a tedious task, unless you can find some contacts.

Unfortunately, staying in the stream of English yields very less lucrative options in the job sector. But, power to you!

Dear admin,
I am right now a student of 11th standard.English hons. is my dream course.I want to know how is the english faculty at Hindu College and what are the best career options that can be pursued thereafter and please let me know about the degrees I can go for after graduation.

Hindu has a okay-ish faculty of English. Unfortunately, I have heard numerous complaints about the tardiness/negligence of the lecturers in the college, so the overall experience hasn’t been well. I recommend KMC over Hindu, in case you do not wish to go to the colleges mentioned above.

As for career options, they are all mentioned above.

You can pursue MA in English from DU, JNU, Ambedkar University, etc. As for changing the field, in that case all options (except Sciences) are open to you. There are competitive exams and a minimum marks requirement in most Post Grad entrances but they are certainly open to all.

Hi,
Iam an english literature 2nd year student at a north campus college. I want to pursue a career in university level teaching and that too in delhi. i have a good academic record so far. Here is the main conflict , I screwed in the internals of two of the foundation courses in my first semester. But my scores in english are good and fyup being gone I expect to score around 62%-63% at the time of my graduarion. Iam also confident of clearing JNU entrance exam for MA. Mow, how much this semi fyup degree will influence my career, keeping in mind I intend to pursue MA and Mphil? can I make up for my not so excellent BA with good MA and Mphil? I think around 63% is very good in literature (excluding the marks of foundation courses, since I screwed in them).
What are my prospects of getting a post as faculty at a north campus college? do keep in mind that Iam a PwD ( person wuth disability) candidate and will get reservation benefits.
Kindly also provide me with the scores of english honours toppers .
Plz reply as soon as possible.

Sir..i am a student of english honours ..pgdav college ..delhi university..sir am scoring good in college ..and my parents are suggesting me to take admission in some other language courses…sir i want to go in journalism or mass media ..i want to knw what language courses are better for career and how can i get admission in language courses in du..

Sir,
I am a B.Tech 2nd year student. I wish to go for M.A. in English once i complete my B.Tech. and prepare for Civil Services examination simultaneously. I have great interest in English Literature since school days. Is it the right path to take?
Also, JNU eligibility requirement says, “Bachelor’s degree in any discipline
under 10+2+3 pattern of education with at least 50% marks.” Does this mean that i cannot join here with a bachelor’s degree in technology as it is a four year course?

Hello, I m presently pursuing english hons. (1st year) i m sthudying in one of the clgs in the hills itself.. Bt the problem i found in the clg is that studying literature means expressing our thoughts bt here all we is to mug up a bundle of notes which is difficult as we have not understood a topic & so our english doesnt gets developed & for further studies we come to cities it will be very difficult to cope up with the students there? Please give your suggestion as how to improve our talking & writing skills.. &to think outside the box?? Sincerely i need your suggestion. I m really confused as to have i done a right decision taking up english hons? I have got 87% in my I.S.C &88 in english so if i try in the clgs of delhi this year in english hons will i be able to get admission? Please help

Feeling really positive after reading this post.
Although I am pursuing B.tech from a renowned college of IP University, I have a strong love for English since class IX.
I am in first year right now, but I really want to leave engineering because it was never my choice. It is very frustrating since I am not being able to express my views to my parents, because of whom I am stuck in this course and they think a BA degree is worthless. I scored 95% in board exams last year, with 96.25% in the best four subjects, which includes English with 98% marks.
Which college will be the best for me in Delhi Univ. for English hons. ? Can I go for Hindu College?
And since I did not take an admission last year in DU, will it create any problem this year regarding the admission?